Farmer leader Baldev Sirsa taken to hospital after facing cardiac issues at Khanauri protest site

Chandigarh: Senior farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa was on Wednesday taken to government hospital in Patiala from the Khanauri protest site after he faced cardiac issues.

The octogenarian was at the protest site when he complained of heart problem after which he was rushed in an ambulance to the hospital.

Farmer leaders at Khanauri said that for the past many months Sirsa too has been taking part in the protest of farmers.

Suddenly, this morning, Sirsa complained of cardiac issues after which he was taken to government hospital in Patiala.

Notably, the farmers are organising a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' at the Khanauri protest site on Wednesday to mark the completion of one-year of the ongoing protest.

Senior farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who is the convener of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), has been on the indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border point since November 26 last year in support of various demands including a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops.

He started getting medical aid after a high-level delegation of the Centre government, led by joint secretary of the ministry of agriculture, Priya Ranjan, on January 18 had invited SKM (Non-Political) and the KMM for talks to discuss their demands in a meeting to be held on February 14 at Chandigarh.

However, Dallewal did not end his indefinite fast. He was being given intravenous fluids.

Dallewal had earlier stated that he would not end his fast-unto-death till the Centre accepted farmers' demands including a legal guarantee to minimum support price for crops.

Farmers, under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not allow them to march to Delhi to press for their various demands.